Alana vs Cayla
Alana and Caylacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Alana was ranked #220 and Cayla #834 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2023, Alana was ranked #224 and Cayla #5687 among girls in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Alana was ranked #281 and Cayla #333 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Alana and Cayla over time
Alana and Cayla appear together in 2 published lists, across 37 years of shared records. Alana held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Cayla in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2023
Alana held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Cayla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alana #172 in 2016, Cayla #1165 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Alana #224, Cayla #5687.
Republic of Ireland · Girls13 shared years, 2005–2020
Alana held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Cayla in 0.
Highest recorded here: Alana #94 in 2006, Cayla #414 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Alana #220, Cayla #834.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Alana | Cayla |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #244 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #5687 (2023) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alana has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Cayla.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alana
Popularity journey
First recorded1980
First recorded at #96 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1980 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1980–1997
Highest recorded position: #49 among girls in New Zealand, in 1983 (recorded 1980–1997).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #244 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Cayla
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #3126 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2020
Highest recorded position: #330 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2012 (recorded 2002–2020).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2023
Most recently recorded at #5687 among girls in England and Wales, in 2023.
England and Wales · Girls